Lightmatter, based in Mountain View, has raised $400 million in a Series D round, bringing its valuation to $4.4 billion. The funding, led by investors advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., and supported by existing investors such as Fidelity Management & Research and GV (Google Ventures), brings Lightmatter’s total funding to $850 million. The company plans to use this capital to scale its Passage™ photonic engine for deployment in partner data centers, aiming to address the growing demand for AI supercomputing.
Lightmatter’s Passage technology leverages 3D-stacked photonics chips to dramatically boost data movement across AI clusters, resolving the bottlenecks posed by traditional electronic interconnects. With AI models pushing the limits of current infrastructure, Lightmatter’s approach aims to improve bandwidth and reduce power consumption, key elements for handling next-gen AI workloads. The technology enables systems to scale efficiently, preparing data centers for AI models that require larger and faster computing infrastructure.
“The demand for AI supercomputers is strong and growing. With Passage, we’re setting a new standard for performance and breaking through the barriers that limit AI computing,” said Lightmatter CEO Nick Harris.
Key Points:
• $400 million raised in Series D, valuing the company at $4.4 billion
• Total funding raised to date is $850 million
• Passage technology uses 3D-stacked photonics chips for data movement
• Addresses bandwidth and power consumption issues in AI clusters
• Key investors include T. Rowe Price, Fidelity Management, and GV
“The demand for AI supercomputers is strong and growing. With Passage, we’re setting a new standard for performance and breaking through the barriers that limit AI computing,” said Nick Harris, CEO of Lightmatter.
